Expression of Luteinizing Hormone/Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Receptor Gene in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and in Prostate Carcinoma in Humans

Abstract

The findings that normal rat prostates express functional LH/hCG receptors led us to test the hypothesis that benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate carcinomas may also express this receptor gene. The data revealed the presence of LH/hCG receptor transcripts and receptor protein in normal and hyperplastic but not in atrophic glands present in BPH tissue. Smooth muscle and blood vessels in stroma of BPH tissue also contained receptors. Prostate carcinomas contain lower and more heterogeneous receptor levels than BPH tissue. Two human prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP and DU 145) that were investigated showed the presence of a major 4.5-kilobase transcript and several minor transcripts and also the protein of LH/hCG receptors. However, androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells contained more receptors than androgen-insensitive DU 145 cells. In summary, we demonstrate for the first time that BPH and prostate cancer tissues and cell lines express LH/hCG receptor gene. These findings suggest that higher LH levels in aged men may play a role in BPH and/or prostate carcinomas.

Influence of dutasteride treatment on serum hormone levels and aging male symptoms in patients with benign prostatic enlargement

“…A possible explanation for the LH increase after DUT treatment is that prostate tissue contains the LH receptor, and a decrease of this receptor by shrinkage of BPH with DUT treatment might induce a negative feedback to the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. 19,20 Furthermore, from the finding that DUT treatment results in suppression of not only prostatic DHT levels but also serum DHT levels by 90% or more, we assume that a strong suppression of serum DHT by DUT treatment induced a reciprocal increase in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, and contributed to the increases in serum TT and FT. 3 Shigehara et al found that DUT treatment improved BMD accompanied by increased TT and FT levels in patients with low baseline serum TT and FT levels. 12 The present results also showed DUT treatment has a positive impact on the AMS score accompanied by increased TT and FT levels, especially in BPE patients with lower FT levels at baseline and moderate to poor aging-related symptoms.…”

In vitro effects and clinical evaluation of a human chorionic gonadotrophin preparation in acute leukemia

“…Recent data, for example, have indicated that HCG receptors are present on prostate carcinoma cells. 18 It is possible, therefore, that HCG's effect at low concentrations may be related to receptor binding and modulation of growth factor production and/or other cytokines associated with cell proliferation and differentiation, whereas the activity at high concentrations may be a direct cytotoxic effect as suggested by Gill et al Since the beta subunit of HCG is structurally similar to that of other growth factors associated with angiogenesis, such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), 19 binding of HCG fragments to receptors for PDGF and subsequent down-regulation has been proposed as an alternative explanation for HCG's antitumor activity. 17 Preliminary assessment of bcl-2 expression in cell lines exposed to HCG, as well as in patient-derived leukemic cells before and during treatment with HCG, consistently demonstrated a decreased expression in response to treatment.…”

Use of hecate–chorionic gonadotropin β conjugate in therapy of lutenizing hormone receptor expressing gonadal somatic cell tumors

“…Clinical studies of hecate-CGβ and Phor21/CGβ(ala) will soon provide us with more evidence on their uses and limitations in human LHR expressing endocrine cancer therapy. As several of the human endocrine cancer tissues, such as mammary gland (Meduri et al 1997), prostate (Tao et al 1997), and adrenal cortical tumor (Rao et al 2004) express LHR, hecate-βCG conjugate could be highly effective in treating other types of human cancers through their LHR, at least as adjuvant therapy. Of course follow-up studies and tumor recurrence after hecate-βCG treatments, and other lytic complexes, should be priority research areas in the future.…”